Minimum area for building flats in Lucknow reduced to 300 sqm

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Development Authority has decided to reduce land limit for building flats from 2,000 square metres to 300 square metre, enabling the authority to regularise several apartments mushrooming in residential areas without following building norms and to make optimum use of land available in the city,

LDA has been pressing for this policy change for the last 2-3 years to provide housing units to maximum number of people. The state government recently gave its nod to a new policy for building apartments in relatively smaller plots of minimum 300 Sqmt area. Hence, in 300-2,000 SqM area, apartments can be made and in area more than 2,000 Sqmt, builder can construct multistoreyed buildings.

Official in charge said, "The policy has now to be implemented after approval from the board. We will put up this proposal in the board meeting after working out technical details of the policy." LDA will have to identify areas where the policy can be enforced, depending on width of road and proximity to market areas. The areas identified are Mahanagar, Nirala Nagar, Aliganj, Indiranagar, Vikas Nagar, Gomtinagar, etc.

Officials said, "There are colonies where individuals have already started making flats amidst a row of single housing units. This has been done without seeking permission from LDA. We will identify these areas and adopt new policy there." People will have to follow norms and make alterations in construction accordingly. Constructions that can be accommodated in the new policy will be regularised by paying penalties while those deviating from norms would be demolished, said LDA.

Both builders and individuals can construct up to 3-storey buildings in small plots of 300 Sqmt. LDA will allow G+3 floors in such plots. Beyond 300 Sqmt, for every 100 Sqmt area, one housing unit can be added. That means a 300 Sqmt can have maximum four flats; in 400 Sqmt, five flats, six in 500 Sqmt and so on, up to a maximum of 24 flats in a 2000 SqM plot.

Officials said the relevant FAR (floor area ratio) that is 1.25 to 1.5 would be applicable in small plots depending on the locality and road width. Also, while giving people approval to construct apartments in small areas, LDA will charge extra for later upgrading existing infrastructure to accommodate increase in population.